Queensland small business minister Jann Stuckey is celebrating the level of interest being shown in the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, with more than 7000 businesses registering their interest.
Ms Stuckey pointed to the interest in businesses wanting to supply goods and services for the games as an indication of the support they held within the community.
But others weren’t as impressed with a brochure Ms Stuckey used to promote the successes of the small business aspect of her portfolio for the upcoming 2014 Small Business week – which used a ‘growth expectations index’ which ran from May 2012 to May 2013.
“Research undertaken by DBM consultants shows growth expectations among Queensland businesses is higher than any other state or territory,” the brochure read.
“The good news for Queensland is that if business sentiment is positive, growth expectations will also be realised.”
A spokeswoman for Ms Stuckey said the brochure, which cost $38,127 to produce, contained the “most up to date information available at the time of printing”.
But it didn’t impress some in the small business community.
“It is another example of wasting money on self-promotion,” one business owner said.
“The outdated figures just made it worthless to me – expectations that were a year old.”
A report released earlier this month credit information bureau Dun & Bradstreet showed 72 per cent of respondents expected improved growth in 2014.
Still positive information, but as another business owner put it “a little more up to date”.
